Hit Show to Launch New Season in Mineshaft Stakes

After finishing as the leading earner of any North American-trained horse in 2025 when earnings in the Middle East are included, Hit Show will chart a familiar path when he opens his 6-year-old season Feb. 11.

Wathnan Racing's Hit Show is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the $250,000 Mineshaft Stakes (G3) Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Trainer Brad Cox hopes to use Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test for older horses as a prep race for a defense of his Dubai World Cup (G1) victory.

A year ago, Hit Show opened the season with a clear victory in the Louisiana Stakes (G3), then finished third in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in March before rallying past seven rivals to secure an upset victory in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in April. He finished 2025 with a seasonal record of 4-1-1 from eight starts and earnings of $7,596,255.

While Hit Show is scheduled to receive only one prep ahead of this year's Dubai World Cup on March 28 at Meydan, the late-running son of Candy Ride  will return to the familiar ground of the Fair Grounds.

A flashy gray and/or roan, Hit Show is scheduled to start from post 6 in the expected field of seven. The Mineshaft is one of six stakes scheduled for Saturday's card that features the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2).

READ: Paladin Follows Familiar Path for Brown in Risen Star

READ: Bella Ballerina May Carry on Family Legacy in Rachel Alexandra

In the day's other stakes action for older horses or older fillies and mares:

• One race after the Mineshaft, trainer Cherie DeVaux will try to win the $175,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) for a third year in a row when she sends out grade 2 winner Brilliant Berti for his 5-year-old season debut.

  Brilliant Berti, by Noble Mission, won last year's Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs and closed the year with a third-place finish in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. A homebred for Klein Racing, Brilliant Berti will have the services of jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. in the 1 1/8-mile turf test for older horses that is scheduled to include Kupuna and Lagynos—the 1-2 finishers in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes Jan. 17 on this course.

  DeVaux captured last year's Fair Grounds with Taking Candy and the 2024 edition with Beatbox.

• The day's stakes action will begin with third race on the card, the Colonel Power Stakes, featuring older horses sprinting on the turf. BG Stables and Selman Shaby's Usually Wrong is the 6-5 favorite after reaching the wire first in six of his past seven starts, although he was disqualified to second for interference in a December allowance race at Fair Grounds.

• Older fillies and mares will be featured in the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Medoro, a grade 3 winner who drew inside, is the 9-5 favorite off her victory in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes on this course in January.

Entries: Colonel Power S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 14, 2026, Race 3

• STK
• 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 1:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Can't Deny It (KY)	Jareth Loveberry	118	Larry Rivelli	12/1
2	2Bear River (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	6/1
3	3Mondogetsbuckets (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Chris M. Block	6/1
4	4Demolition Duke (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Brendan P. Walsh	12/1
5	5Usually Wrong (KY)	Isaac Castillo	124	Robertino Diodoro	6/5
6	6Built (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Wayne M. Catalano	6/1
7	7Autodrive (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	W. Bret Calhoun	8/1
8	8Champlin (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Gregory D. Foley	6/1

Entries: Albert M. Stall Memorial S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 14, 2026, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Medoro (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Peter Eurton	9/5
2	2Oversubscribed (GB)	Tyler Gaffalione	124	Chad C. Brown	5/2
3	3Sweet Treasure (KY)	Florent Geroux	120	Brad H. Cox	6/1
4	4Expensive Queen (IRE)	Luis Saez	118	Brendan P. Walsh	6/1
5	5Lucky Speech (KY)	James Graham	118	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
6	6Sophie's Cruiser (KY)	Isaac Castillo	118	Brett A. Brinkman	20/1
7	7Mo Expectations (KY)	Axel Concepcion	118	Brad H. Cox	8/1
8	8Feather Boa (SAF)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
9	9Cupids Crush (MN)	Marcelino Pedroza, Jr.	118	Hugh H. Robertson	15/1

Entries: Mineshaft S. Presented by Hagyard (G3)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 14, 2026, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:00 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Duke of Duval (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
2	2Accelerize (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Todd A. Pletcher	4/1
3	3Cadet Corps (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kelly J. Breen	6/1
4	4Moonlight (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Chris M. Block	6/1
5	5Time to Win (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Chad C. Brown	4/1
6	6Hit Show (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Brad H. Cox	9/5
7	7Stowaway (KY)	Jareth Loveberry	118	D. Whitworth Beckman	8/1

Entries: Fair Grounds S. Presented by Horse Racing Nation (G3T)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 14, 2026, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $175,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sand Pipes (KY)	Paco Lopez	118	Lindsay Schultz	12/1
2	2Brilliant Berti (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Cherie DeVaux	4/1
3	3Point Proven (KY)	Jareth Loveberry	118	David Terre	30/1
4	4Gigante (VA)	James Graham	122	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
5	5Cameo Performance (KY)	Ben Curtis	118	Brendan P. Walsh	6/1
6	6Montador (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Michael Stidham	6/1
7	7Kupuna (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Norm W. Casse	3/1
8	8Idratherbeblessed (KY)	Marcelino Pedroza, Jr.	122	Chris A. Hartman	12/1
9	9Lagynos (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Steven M. Asmussen	7/2
10	10Agate Road (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1